UPDATE: TCEQ upholds order to withhold downstream water releases from Highland Lakes
CONNIE SWINNEY • STAFF WRITER
UPDATE: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality upheld an emergency order July 1 to withhold water releases from the Highland Lakes reservoirs to rice farmers downstream.
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BURNET — Interests along the upper and lower Colorado River basins are getting ready to go head to head after an emergency order to curtail Highland Lakes water releases to downstream agriculture and recreation industries.
Burnet County and regional water officials gathered June 25 at the Region K Planning Group meeting to surmise the latest impact of storms on lake levels, discuss the state’s water-management plan, review the latest updates on drought conditions and encourage members to participate in an upcoming public hearing.
Lake levels have improved after recent storms; however, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has granted an emergency request from the Lower Colorado River Authority to curtail water releases downstream.
The move rekindled an ongoing battle between domestic and agriculture interest along the lower Colorado River basin.
“It’s upstream versus downstream users. There’s bay and estuary needs, water gets diverted to the (duck) hunting industry,” said Burnet County Judge James Oakley.
The current amount of water in lakes Travis and Buchanan equals a number above 1.4 million acre feet of combined storage; the level considered adequate to release water downstream.
“The problem with that is that Lake Travis is at 84 percent (capacity), and Buchanan is at 51 percent,” Oakley said. “(If water was released), Buchanan would be penalized for the higher level at Lake Travis.”
A public hearing to potentially finalize or reverse the TCEQ emergency order has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. July 1 at the TCEQ Commission Office, 12100 Park 35 Circle, Room 2018, Building E in Austin.
Representatives from the rice farming industry, which uses Highland Lakes water for irrigation, are expected to attend as well as local representatives.
“We’re starting to hear people asking to release water from the lakes in terms of the new triggers,” said Kevin Kline, vice president of communications for the Central Texas Water Coalition. “People are already quickly forgetting the crisis we just went through and we may still be in. There’s no proof the drought is necessarily over just because we had some good short-term rainfall.”
The state approved new trigger points for the Highland Lakes that determine if the LCRA can release water downstream for interruptible customers such as some agricultural producers.
In 2010, in the middle of the drought, a wet winter season raised lake levels higher than today’s levels, he said.
“Once we started letting a bunch of water out downstream, we ended up in 2011 with record low levels,” Kline said. “It can change that quick.”
Written public comments regarding the hearing may be submitted to TCEQ, P.O. Box 13087, Austin TX 78711-3087, or on the TCEQ website at www.tceq.gov. The deadline to comment by mail or online is 5 p.m. June 29.
“There’s a lot of moving parts, and the most important thing is public comments,” Oakley said.
connie@thepicayune.com
TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
Access more details information about the TCEQ emergency order process here.
View a copy of the June 17 emergency order here.
Submit comments about the LCRA Water Management Plan here.
To offer general comments, email ac@tceq.texas.gov.
36 thoughts on “UPDATE: TCEQ upholds order to withhold downstream water releases from Highland Lakes”
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LCRA’s own report on said that some 550k+ acre feet of water was released for agricultural and non potable reasons the last time water was released. The ENTIRE AUSTIN METRO COMPLEX on a yearly average uses 161k+ acre feet of water. THE REASON that Lake Travis and Buchanan got so low, is MOSTLY because of water releases for agriculture. Agriculture (Rice Farmers) downstream have OTHER sources of water, it just costs them more money. How about LCRA raise the price of Agricultural and Industrial water to the price of other water sources for Rice Farmers and see if that kills their interest in our highland lake water? The FACT of the matter is, that Rice Farmers have other sources of water, it just cost them more. There bottom line is NOT worth the Citizens of Austin’s playground and source of water. Rice production has not stopped during the drought, now that they see a cheap source of water, they want to get their hands on it. Highland Lake Water should be for Citizen ONLY PERIOD. I was sailing on Lake Travis last Sunday and its BEAUTIFUL to see the lake teaming with life, boats and people enjoying it. Seriously?!?!? LCRA is thinking about draining it again so some rice farmers can save a buck? HORRIBLE DECISION IF IT GOES THAT WAY.
I am a lifelong, 59 year old female native Austinite who has lived on Comanche Trail on Lake Travis for the past 15 years. My parents owned a cabin down the street that was purchased in 1955. Since I can remember, from the time I was a small child, my goal in life that I worked very hard as an RN to accomplish, was to move to this beautiful area, primarily due to the appeal of living close to the water, for a number of reasons. After owning a small cabin, I bought my home at 7091 Comanche Trail for $279,000 in 2002. I felt that I knew Austin property values well and due to this being a close in, limited commodity, it was my solid opinion that this property would be not only enjoyed by myself, my family and friends, but that it would retain its value and increase over the years. I am single and the purchase of this property, was, I felt, a very wise investment. Over the years, it reached a peak of $456,000 in November 2012, when the lake was still almost full. As of today, it has decreased in value in just the last month a total of $6560 to an all time low of $267,000. That is a net loss of $12,000 over the last more than dozen years and has made a big impact on my financial future. I have had some injuries which has interrupted my nursing career since 2011 and now, with the loss of the value of my property, I am almost at a panic level as to how I will live out the rest of my life, from a financial perspective.
I am sharing my own personal story not just to state what has happened to me, but I am only one of many others who have undergone these kinds of financial losses, as well as losing our prior wonderful quality of life, which was I am sure, also well planned by many. When the impact on businesses are figured in, the results of mismanagement by LCRA have created not only economic, but also losses on a personal level for an unprecedented number of people. This is truly tragic.
It is my opinion that greed is the bottom line cause for the destruction of the resources that were our right to utilize and paid for at the time Lake Travis was created, for our citizens. The farmers downstream need to be forced into utilizing their own other resources available to them, as we did when we created Lake Travis. This beautiful, clear drinking water from which all of our area derives this resource from has been and continues to be in danger, due to the simple fact that LCRA has realized that they can take advantage of our local resource to benefit themselves. I find this to be quite appalling, as was the situation with Barton Springs and Save Our Springs years ago. I was very well aware that the official statements with the Lake Travis water level dropping were not due directly to the lack of rain, as has been propagated, but rather the selling of the water that we so value. We all watch the weather radar, hoping for rains upstream in the Highland Lakes, yet my heart sinks even as I watch recent rainfall, knowing that this is merely a pretense and a heartbreaking one at that.
It is my heartfelt opinion that this is a very unethical set of actions. I will speak loud and clear in the hope that my voice will add to others to stop these political and self centered actions that are motivated by the greed of LCRA.
Please, please, PLEASE, do not make the same HUGE mistake twice!
Oh my god, how can they even consider making the same boneheaded mistake TWICE. Last time nobody realized how devastating the impact would be. This time the LCRA has zero excuse. That the desire of these handful of companies would once again be placed in front of the water needs and economic benefits of thousands of people is just staggering. Between surging growth in the area, a four-year drought and climate change, it would be the pinnacle of stupidity to release billions of gallons downstream. Please do not make the same mistake twice.
please do not release water downstream. We need it in Austin. Those downstream from us have also received record levels of rainfall and flooding. This is NOT a need! This year’s rainfall is an anomaly. We need to continue to plan to the population growth in our areas. We cannot continue to support the now defunct rice farming.
Let’s stop the insanity of growing federally subsidized crops with water we don’t have (for the long run) at a price that is nearly free! If the rice is such a worthy crop, build more reservoirs downstream to catch the excess rain that falls south of the Highland Lakes, we will all be better off in the long run.
We live on Lake Buchanan. We are no where close to being out of the drought. Nor are we anywhere close to full!! It is ludicrous to even consider releasing water. What does the rice farmer contribute to our well being?? BIG FAT NOTHING! They did nothing to support local business that was lost nor do they care that we are still in water ration. Please keep our water! We are in no position to risk giving away what we have.
Rice farming should not be done in an area that has to rely on water from lakes upstream to flood the fields. I’ve had a boat on Lake Travis for several years and when water is released it makes it dangerous out on the lake. Not to mention what the lower level does to business’s on the lake and in the area.
We strongly request that you conserve the water level in Lake Travis.
The economic impact is far greater for Lake Travis, by a huge multiple, than allowing for water to be distributed to the rice and duck farmers.
The farmers can adapt to the economic reality of today’s climate change. The lakes do not have that option if water is released in large quantities.
Rice should not be farmed in Texas if the normal climate conditions cannot support it. This is insanity. The water is not even needed to grow the rice its needed to flood the rice to prevent weeds. It is the largest most wasteful use of water imaginable. The last time this water was released they released in one year, THREE years worth of city water usage in only one year, and at pennies on the dollar just for the rice farmers.
This should never happen again
DO NOT release water to rice farmers. The decision to farm rice in that part of Texas was ridiculous from the beginning. CONSERVE!
As a resident of Lake Travis since 1998, I would like to point out that for most of the time I have lived out here, the lake has been below full level and even after the spurt of recent rain has not yet reached full level. We have dealt without having a full lake as I would request the hunters and farmers to make due with the drought conditions as we have.
Rice isn’t even good for our bodies! Such a waste.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/eating-white-rice-regularly-may-raise-type-2-diabetes-risk/
Why would we even think about releasing water out of Lake Travis flood gates when we haven’t even hit the 681 level? Please don’t make the same mistake you did in 2010. It took 5 years to recover and make this area beautiful again so let’s keep it that way.
The water plan needs to be revised. It is outdated and does not properly address the current drought issues that we are attempting to recover from. The recent rainfalls do NOT constitute the end of the drought in Central Texas. PLEASE do not release water from Lake Travis. Local businesses have been suffering for YEARS due to the mismanagement of the water releases in 2010! It makes NO sense to release water when businesses are finally starting to see an uptick after 5 long years. Likewise, the rice farmers have also received tremendous amounts of rain this year. PLEASE listen to reason and help rewrite a fair, equitable water management plan for all!
Come up with new solutions for the rice farmers. We need to revise the water plan and stop the water shortage for those around Lake Travis. We have been in a drought for 6 years and if we let the water out again, we will be right back where we started. Please conserve the water in our lake for not only the businesses but the residents of Lake Travis.
Do not release the water to rice farmers. Because of this previous release many businesses were affected and went under. Haven’t you learned by now?
No, no, no!!!!
Please do not release our water. I realize the original intent of the lake was not for recreational purposes, but times have changed. Our community thrives on all that Lake Travis provides us. Let’s finally end this vicious cycle of giving our precious water away when we finally have an almost full lake!
Please do not take our water. After this last exhaustingly long drought we pulled through it makes no sense to send it away before filling up. Find another way for the big money to water. I do not support opening up the “flood gates” prior to achieving flood status.
We don’t need a repeat of 2011. As more people move into central Texas we need to keep more water in our lake. It’s time to change how much rice farmers and duck hunters get.
My family lives on Lake Travis and low lake levels have cost my family so much money. Please keep us in mind and keep Lake Travis full. You are hurting local businesses.
Do not release any water from lake travis! The rice farmers have had loads of rains, our drought IS NOT OVER. Buchanan is hovering around 50%, city of Austin needs drinking water long before farmers of a hugely water wasteful crop. These farmers should consider cultivating a different crop that is not so water consumptive in a region where water isn’t guaranteed. It’s irresponsible for farmers to plant RICE here, seriously.
Dear TCEQ,
Please take heed and continue to conserve our water. Lake Travis is now almost at full stage but for how long? Just over a month ago our dwindling water supply was looking bleak with an upcoming summer to face yet again. Thankfully El Nino did strengthen and blessed us with much need rain. But what if? What if it didn’t. I as a firm water customer have been most concerned the last 4 years if there would truly be enough water for all, especially with all of the explosive growth in Austin and surrounding areas. Mismanagement, drought and greed put Lake Travis in the lowest level since the 50s. We cannot continue with the same old way. In 2011 LCRA released more water to Rice Farmers than the whole of Austin used that year. Please let us learn from our mistakes and conserve the water more efficiently in the future for all. Thank you
Please save our Lakes! Summer heat will be upon us soon as will the increased threat of fires. We need to keep our water in our lakes PLEASE!
Thank you!
Carol Dooley
No release of water to rice farmers or other downstream users. The water supply is too precarious at this time.
So many businesses and homes were affected with the drought in and around the lake,, Travis,, , it’s hard to believe,,, the lake is back to normal levels and all ready people want to open the dam for duck hunters?????? And rice fields?? I say no!!! Figure out a FAIR compromise,, capture rainwater for the rice fields like I do for my garden!!! Do something other than automatically opening the dam gates!!
DO NOT OPEN THE FLOODGATES!!! Today was our first day out on the lake in years! Take water out for those who don’t need it and we won’t be able to get our boat in the Sandy Creek arm and boat ramps in Jonestown. We are ready to support the businesses on the lake, but won’t be able to if they take water out. The trees have grown so tall when the water was gone it is still hard to navigate with the water we have. We need more water-NOT LESS! Please, please do not take water out!
Please keep the water in the lakes. Signed,
A concern Lake Travis resident
Todd Grovatt and Family.
Sell them the excess flow that is available without letting it flow out of Travis, the minimum has been exceeded for months from rains falling below Mansfield Dam.
Well said. The Anwsers seem rather straight forward. As stated above releasing water is just repeating last mistakes and leaves the door open for another 2011 to devastate the supply. The Anwser is more consistent lake levels and adding the additional resivors to catch water downstream and feed every one of the customers. They get as much water as can be collected from the additional resivors that are added. Seems to solve the problems to me. More consistent water in Travis and Buchanan and add a few more resivors downstream to meet he rest of the needs. Until those downstream resivors are ready, minimal water released from Travis.
Let’s revise the water plan. Please don’t release the water from the lakes until they are full, let industries adapt to drought conditions. Rice farmers and other industries need to get creative in terms of their water sources. More rain water catchment systems could mitigate the shortages. It seems that everyone would benefit from more conservation. Austin does a good job with conservation, but we can do better.
i don’t get it !! you were in a serious drought , now that you have been blessed with the return of water levels why would you jeopardize that. you think you would conserve the water now .some events in the future should be put on hold to priority. i agree the severity of your water drought is not over and should be recognized as essential to maintain the lake levels. i would like to know the measurement of adequate related to the severity of of the past 5 years, i believe that those who feed off the lake resources should have there own resources and back up to cover the shortage of limited water supplies !!!
If we let water out again we will end up right back where we started. Please conserve the water in our lake for not only the businesses but the residents of Lake Travis.
I do not support releasing water from Lake Travis. A mere month ago we were below critical levels, to release water down stream at this point would be irresponsible.
Thank you
Do not release the water. It took 6 years to get it back. Trust me the ducks are smart enough to fly a little further north to nest and breed. Not so sure if the duck hunters are. Also note to rice farmers you wanna grow rice try Vietnam not a drought stricken area of Texas.
please do not release any water, we have been punished way to severely over the last five years as we lived and limped through the drought. we must learn from our mistakes that we made in 2010 and retain the water that we have in our lake